


Sapphires

by Tybir



Category: Warcraft (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fluff, M/M, Mermaids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 20:42:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8938354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tybir/pseuds/Tybir
Summary: Lothar tries to bargain with a naughty young merman who swipes Prince Varian's crown.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mia826](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mia826/gifts).



> Merry Christmas from your Secret Santa! <3

Lothar grabbed his sword and raced onto the deck of the small ship when he heard the scream. While Crown Prince Varian was only a small child, he was not the kind to scream or shout for no reason, and he had sounded truly terrified. Fortunately he appeared to be safe, standing near the side of the boat crying while his mother rushed over to comfort him. His father King Llane moved past Lothar and also knelt beside the shaken boy, gently asking him what had happened.

“A fish-man took my crown, he grabbed it right off my head!” Varian sobbed.   
“It must have been a merman,” Llane said with a frown.   
“Don’t mermen drag people into the water and drown them?” Lothar asked quietly, out of Varian’s earshot.   
“You’re thinking of sirens. Mermaids and mermen are notorious thieves. They charm their victims then snatch things from them. They’re pretty harmless for the most part,” Llane replied.   
“Well that harmless creature just took a priceless Stormwind heirloom,” Lothar pointed out with a grimace.

“Don’t worry Varian, we’ll try to get it back,” Llane reassured his son.   
“You have a plan?” Lothar asked.   
“He probably took the crown because it was shiny. All we have to do is hold some shiny objects over the water to try and attract his attention. We can try to barter with him. Give him something nice in exchange for the crown,” Llane explained.   
“Like my necklace?” Taria asked, hand going to the delicate pearls around her neck.   
“They were a gift from the Lordaeron diplomat, weren’t they?” Llane frowned slightly as he tried to remember.   
“Yes but I have other pearls,” Taria reassured him as she unclasped the necklace.

Lothar quickly looked around for anything a merman might think valuable. A spare piece of armour perhaps? Those were shiny, although probably too heavy for the creature to carry underwater. Checking his pockets quickly, he pulled out a simple silver chain that had once been part of his gryphon’s tack. He had pocketed it after it came loose in the stables then promptly forgot about it. It wasn’t exactly valuable but it was shiny, and if Llane was correct then the merman would be just as interested in it as the very expensive, highly sentimental crown.

While Llane and Taria dangled various shiny objects over one side of the boat, Lothar dangled the silver chain over the other side. Callan remained in the centre of the deck, making sure neither of Taria and Llane’s children were to go near the side if the merman were to reappear. Merfolk were very  rare mystical creatures with the ability to charm others with their looks and voices. Unlike the sirens they weren’t known for dragging helpless victims to a watery grave, but merfolk were not known for conversing with strangers or bargaining for items; they simply snatched whatever they wanted and rushed off with it.

While Llane was hopeful that the merman who had taken his son’s crown was still near the little ship, Lothar had his doubts. The merman had taken a very beautiful shiny object and was surely admiring it in his cave or den or wherever it was that merfolk lived. He was almost certain the creature was gone until he saw a ripple in the waters below. Lothar took the silver chain and wrapped it around his wrist as though it were a bracelet before placing his hand into the water. The ship was small enough that he could reach the water without having to worry about overbalancing, but he made sure to keep a tight grip on the railing anyway.

On seeing a dark shape below approaching rapidly, Lothar lifted his arm out of the water just in time. The merman whooshed past rapidly, a blur of pale skin and shiny blue scales finishing with a tail that splashed Lothar with water on retreat. It was likely the merman had thought to snatch the chain, or perhaps he was simply scoping out the ship some more. Lothar dangled the chain above the water again before pulling his arm back in again, making sure it would be out of reach of the rare creature below.

After another pass by, this time underwater, the merman finally emerged from the water and stopped in front of the boat, dark eyes staring curiously at the warrior in front of him. Lothar met his gaze evenly, taking a moment to admire the young merman before raising an eyebrow as he glanced at the shining crown on the creature’s head.   
“That’s a nice crown,” Lothar spoke softly so as to not frighten away the merman. The youth cocked his head slightly but did not reply. The elegant effect was broken when the crown slid off his head into the water. He blinked briefly before snatching it in his hands before it could sink.

“My name’s Anduin Lothar. What’s yours?” Lothar tried.   
“Khadgar,” the merman replied after a moment. He continued to hold the prized crown in his hands. Lothar had no doubt that Khadgar was faster than him, so he made no move to try and snatch it back.   
“It’s nice to meet you Khadgar,” Lothar said. “Do you think we could trade?”   
“Trade?”   
“I really like your crown, and I’d be prepared to offer you something nice in exchange for it.”

“But I like my crown.” Khadgar’s response was petulant, and he clutched the valuable headpiece to his chest protectively.   
“What do you like about it?” Lothar asked.   
“It’s shiny and silver, and has the sky in it,” Khadgar replied with a smile, holding the now glittering crown out of the water and watching entranced as the sunlight bounced off the sapphire embedded in the centre.   
“What if I gave you something else shiny and silver?” Lothar held out the chain to show it to Khadgar, making sure to keep a tight hold on it.

“I like the crown better,” Khadgar said after a moment. He went back to admiring the crown.   
“This chain is much easier to wear though. It must be hard to swim with the crown on your head. You can wrap this around your wrist like a bracelet,” Lothar tried to convince him.   
Khadgar shook his head.  “It doesn’t have the sky in it.”   
“Do you like pearls?” Lothar asked, glancing towards his sister who was crouched not far from him, necklace held loosely in her hand. She and Llane wanted to see the merman but didn’t dare come closer lest they scare him away.   
“There are pearls in the bottom of the water.” Khadgar was slowly turning around now, continuing to admire the crown in the sunlight.

Lothar huffed slightly, frustrated. There was plenty of silver items on board the little ship but very few sapphires. Maybe the merman would take something else blue even if it wasn’t a valuable gem? Or perhaps appealing to its conscience would work. Merfolk were well known for being thieves so it was unlikely Khadgar would think anything was wrong with taking the crown, but perhaps he would reconsider his actions if he was reminded that the original owner was only a child. Lothar thought it worth a try.   
“That crown belonged to my nephew Varian. He’s only a small boy. He loved it very much. Are you sure there’s nothing I can give you in exchange for it?”

Khadgar tilted his head to the side again, eyes glancing past Lothar to where the children were huddled in the middle of the deck. Varian looked absolutely miserable. Khadgar returned his gaze to Lothar and started to move forwards bringing himself directly to the side of the boat. If Lothar moved his hand he could easily touch the beautiful creature before him.   
“You have pretty eyes,” Khadgar whispered, gazing into them with the same intensity and interest he had shown the crown and its sapphire.   
“I swim every morning, near the rock formation east of the city port,” Lothar whispered back. “I could play with you every day, if you give my nephew his crown back.”

“Every day?” Khadgar asked, his face a picture of innocence.   
“Every day,” Lothar replied promised.   
“And I can have the shiny too?” Khadgar finally tore his eyes away from Lothar’s, looking instead at the chain clutched in the warrior’s hand.   
“Of course.” Lothar opened his hand and let the merman take it.    
“Ok. I will see you there tomorrow then.” Khadgar backed away from the boat suddenly.   
“Wait, you said you would give us the crown!” Lothar stood up, frustrated that the merman now had both items and seemed ready to leave them.   
“I will give it to you tomorrow,” Khadgar replied. Before Lothar could say anything further, the merman was gone. 

Llane accompanied Lothar to the rocky beach the next morning. At first it appeared the merman had not kept his promise, but after the few minutes of swimming Lothar felt something soft brush against his legs. He turned around to find Khadgar next to him, a lazy smile on the merman’s face. The crown was on his head and the chain around his wrist like a bracelet.   
“I’m glad you came,” Lothar greeted him. Khadgar took the crown off and placed it on Lothar’s head, his body so close that Lothar could feel the cool, surprisingly soft scales of Khadgar’s tail against his rump.

Khadgar returned to the rocky beach daily. Lothar began spending longer hours there, enjoying the cheeky young merman’s company. They played, splashed each other and swam together. They lay on the large flat rocks that jutted out of the water and enjoyed the early morning sun. They played with the fish in the rock pools near the shoreline. Khadgar would catch crabs from the seabed and keep them in one of the pools for later. Lothar often took some back to the keep to share. The merman began bringing shells, rocks and pearls to Lothar, who accepted each gift graciously. He returned the favour by bringing shiny items for Khadgar to wear as jewellery, or to decorate the rock pool the merman had apparently claimed as his shellfish storage area.

Lothar had wondered about the merman’s age, but it was soon confirmed for him when Khadgar announced one morning that it was his birthday.   
“You should have told me, I could have brought you something special,” Lothar told him.   
“I’m just glad I can share it with you.”   
“So how old are you?”   
“It’s a special birthday for me.” Khadgar smiled warmly, nuzzling Lothar’s bearded cheek.   
“Oh?” Lothar asked.   
“Today I come of age.” Khadgar’s eyes shone brightly in the early morning sun.   
“Oh,” Lothar breathed. Cupping Khadgar’s soft round face in his hands, Lothar bent down to press their lips together, revelling in the feeling of the merman’s silky tail wrapping around him.


End file.
